This photograph was taken on the front porch of a house that still stands at 715 C St. in Lincoln. At the time Cora and Alonzo Thomas ran a grocery store in the front room of the home. Four of the Thomas children and two friends are in the photo. The baby is Lonnie Thomas, born in 1909, who became a championship golfer. Lonnie’s daughter Deborah Thomas was a backup singer for several groups including Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. The little white girl at the side is Marie Busch, who lived next door at 703 C St., the daughter of Germans from Russia immigrants.

After this John Johnson photograph was featured in Newsweek magazine in November 1999, collection owner Douglas Keister received a call from a radiologist in Atlanta, Ga. The man, Jim Zakem, said the child on the far left was his father, James. Zakem's grandfather, Lebanese-born Alexander K. Zakem (1879-1942), and his wife Anise had three children. James, born in Michigan in 1917, is pictured at left beside little sister Lillian. The blond boy was a playmate. Older sister Adeline (at right) was born in Montreal in 1916.

This scan of a glass plate negative made circa 1910-25 shows students in Lincoln. A number of the girls in the front row are holding piano music, indicating they may have been giving or attending a recital.

Mamie Griffin, who worked as a cook, lived at 915 U St. in 1914 with her husband, Edward, a waiter at the Lincoln Hotel. Their little house and other humble residences stood on a dirt street among railroad tracks and industrial uses north of downtown Lincoln. Far from humble are the dress and demeanor of this woman, posing confidently with her romance novel, "The Wife of Monte Cristo."

Historic images of Lincoln's black community on display at Nebraska History Museum

This photograph was taken on the front porch of a house that still stands at 715 C St. in Lincoln. At the time Cora and Alonzo Thomas ran a grocery store in the front room of the home. Four of the Thomas children and two friends are in the photo. The baby is Lonnie Thomas, born in 1909, who became a championship golfer. Lonnie’s daughter Deborah Thomas was a backup singer for several groups including Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. The little white girl at the side is Marie Busch, who lived next door at 703 C St., the daughter of Germans from Russia immigrants.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Members of a Teach Me to Color Facebook group have colorized some of the John Johnson’s black and white photographs, owned by Doug Keister, using digital techniques.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

This scan of a glass plate negative of a photograph taken by John Johnson shows early Lincoln history.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

After this John Johnson photograph was featured in Newsweek magazine in November 1999, collection owner Douglas Keister received a call from a radiologist in Atlanta, Ga. The man, Jim Zakem, said the child on the far left was his father, James. Zakem's grandfather, Lebanese-born Alexander K. Zakem (1879-1942), and his wife Anise had three children. James, born in Michigan in 1917, is pictured at left beside little sister Lillian. The blond boy was a playmate. Older sister Adeline (at right) was born in Montreal in 1916.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

This scan of a glass plate negative made circa 1910-25 shows students in Lincoln. A number of the girls in the front row are holding piano music, indicating they may have been giving or attending a recital.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

This scan of a glass plate negative by photographer John Johnson shows early Lincoln history.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Two women show off their pit bull terrier, circa 1910-25.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Manitoba "Toby" James had three daughters and two sons. Pictured with him here are his firstborn son, Mauranee (in the hat at right), and his daughters Myrtha (left) and Edna (center).

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Mamie Griffin, who worked as a cook, lived at 915 U St. in 1914 with her husband, Edward, a waiter at the Lincoln Hotel. Their little house and other humble residences stood on a dirt street among railroad tracks and industrial uses north of downtown Lincoln. Far from humble are the dress and demeanor of this woman, posing confidently with her romance novel, "The Wife of Monte Cristo."

For almost two decades, stories about boxes of negatives that contained images of Lincoln’s black residents taken in the early 1900s have appeared in the newspaper.

How the glass negatives were part of a garage sale purchase in 1965 and given to Doug Keister, a Lincoln native who carried them around the country as he moved, not understanding the significance of the images.

See the exhibit

The Nebraska History Museum, 131 Centennial Mall North, is hosting an exhibit of photographs by John Johnson through May 25.

Special events include:

* Friday, 5-7 p.m. First Friday event will offer special tours of the exhibit, a performance by Omaha saxophonist Ed "Smoove Grooves" Archibald, a performance of "Power of the Spoken Word" by Humanities Nebraska speaker Felicia Webster, music by Lincoln's Mount Zion Baptist choir and food by GrannyWeavs Soul Food & Catering.

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And this spring more than 100 of those Johnson photographs are on display at the Nebraska History Museum, including two that are 4 feet wide.

“It’s like walking into their lives,” said Keister, who lives in California.

That is the advantage of having the original negatives. You can scan them and blow them up, he said in a telephone interview.

The exhibit -- "Black and White in Black and White: Images of Dignity, Hope and Diversity in America" -- include 31 John Johnson images from Keister’s collection and a digital exhibit of the McWilliams’ family photos.

The exhibit also includes an interview with Ruth Folley, who was a child in one picture, but nine decades later was able to identify people in the photograph, which lead to other identifications, Keister said.

The exhibit started this week and will continue until May 25.

Historic images of black Lincolnites

2001

The address on the house behind these well-appointed gentlemen suggests it was the home of George and Fronia Butcher at 2001 U St. Butcher (thought to be the taller man) was born in Philadelphia in 1874, and died at the VA Hospital in Lincoln in 1958. He worked for the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad as a porter and for Burlington as a laborer in the Havelock Shops. Fronia Butcher was even more long-lived, reaching 100 years (1879-1979).The dapper man with the cane remains unidentified. The photograph is among many taken in Lincoln on black and white glass negatives by African-American photographers John Johnson and Earl McWilliams between 1910 and 1925.

Courtesy photo

Mother's touch

The woman and boy are unidentified, but surely the photograph captures a mother's reassuring touch. The photograph is among many taken in Lincoln on black and white glass negatives by African-American photographers John Johnson and Earl McWilliams between 1910 and 1925.

Courtesy photo

Baseball player

From his socks and knickers to his cap, this ballplayer is well uniformed from head to ankle, but his spiked shoes have seen better days. Frank Gillen, president of Gillen and Boney Candy Co. of Lincoln, probably sponsored the team. Around 1890, the all-black Lincoln Giants met with considerable success against town teams across the state. This player's heavily padded mitt shows he was a catcher. The photograph is among many taken in Lincoln on black and white glass negatives by African-American photographers John Johnson and Earl McWilliams between 1910 and 1925.

Courtesy photo

Florence Jones and companion

The young lady on the right is Florence Jones (later Clark). Her companion has not been identified. Jones was a student at Park and McKinley elementary schools and Lincoln High School, graduating in 1923. The photograph is among many taken in Lincoln on black and white glass negatives by African-American photographers John Johnson and Earl McWilliams between 1910 and 1925.

Courtesy photo

John and Odessa Johnson

John Johnson, shown with wife Odessa in August 1918, photographed life in Lincoln, focusing on African Americans.

Photo courtesy of Douglas Keister

John Johnson photos

Mamie Griffin, who worked as a cook, lived at 915 U St. in 1914 with her husband, Edward, a waiter at the Lincoln Hotel. Their little house and other humble residences stood on a dirt street among railroad tracks and industrial uses north of downtown Lincoln. Far from humble are the dress and demeanor of this woman, posing confidently with her romance novel, "The Wife of Monte Cristo."

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

John Johnson photos

Manitoba "Toby" James had three daughters and two sons. Pictured with him here are his firstborn son, Mauranee (in the hat at right), and his daughters Myrtha (left) and Edna (center).

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

John Johnson photos

In this photo by John Johnson of Lincoln, 10 people and a dog share in a backyard picnic, circa 1910-25. The scene appears casual, but the picnic benches have been angled out from the table to allow each person to be seen, and to lead the eye to the couple serving as host and hostess. Johnson documented African-American life in Lincoln in the early 20th century.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

John Johnson photos

Two women show off their pit bull terrier, circa 1910-25.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

John Johnson photos

This scan of a glass plate negative made circa 1910-25 shows students in Lincoln. A number of the girls in the front row are holding piano music, indicating they may have been giving or attending a recital.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Members of a Teach Me to Color Facebook group have colorized some of the John Johnson’s black and white photographs, owned by Doug Keister, using digital techniques.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Douglas Keister

This photograph was taken on the front porch of a house that still stands at 715 C St. in Lincoln. At the time Cora and Alonzo Thomas ran a grocery store in the front room of the home. Four of the Thomas children and two friends are in the photo. The baby is Lonnie Thomas, born in 1909, who became a championship golfer. Lonnie’s daughter Deborah Thomas was a backup singer for several groups including Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. The little white girl at the side is Marie Busch, who lived next door at 703 C St., the daughter of Germans from Russia immigrants.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Douglas Keister

This scan of a glass plate negative by photographer John Johnson shows early Lincoln history.

JOHN JOHNSON, Courtesy Douglas Keister

Douglas Keister

After this John Johnson photograph was featured in Newsweek magazine in November 1999, collection owner Douglas Keister received a call from a radiologist in Atlanta, Ga. The man, Jim Zakem, said the child on the far left was his father, James. Zakem's grandfather, Lebanese-born Alexander K. Zakem (1879-1942), and his wife Anise had three children. James, born in Michigan in 1917, is pictured at left beside little sister Lillian. The blond boy was a playmate. Older sister Adeline (at right) was born in Montreal in 1916.